Composition

Venus, The Hunterian

This may have been one of several studies for a large oil painting, Venus [YMSM 548], which was described by Walford Graham Robertson (1867-1948) as in Whistler's studio in 1902, but is no longer extant: 'an oil painting of a full length figure of Venus, running with wide-flung arms and flying tresses up a beach of golden sand from a sea of pale turquoise'. 1

Technique

The drawing appears to be unfinished. The face is a wreck, but the hair was neatly shaded with short diagonal lines, and reiterated lines conveyed the fluttering robes. The disturbed fibres of the paper go in all directions, adding to the ethereal effect of the figure.

Conservation History

The paper has flecks of wood-stalk and a fine vertical grain is visible on less worked on areas - the sky, sea, and beach. The paper has been slightly rubbed and there are traces of gilt from an old mount. There has been some paper loss at left, just under the fluttering robe.